


Final Moments

by Morganoire



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, F/M, For DimitriWeek2020, Old Age, Post-Canon, Someone dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28264833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morganoire/pseuds/Morganoire
Summary: Upon waking, Dimitri hears the voice of a woman he has never heard before, and the message she brings him stirs his heart.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Final Moments

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for Dimitri Week Day 4: Final Moments!

Dimitri drifted out of the strange feeling of unconscious sleep, yet lay there with his eye closed for a moment longer. Slowly then, he opened it, staring at the wall across from him. He rolled over and smiled, seeing his beloved sleeping peacefully beside him. Dimitri opted to let her sleep a little longer, and peeled the sheets off himself. His knees and ankles popped as his feet hit the ground and he stood. He walked over to his dresser, getting out his clothes and getting dressed as he normally did before walking back across the bedroom and quietly opening the doors that led to the balcony before closing them behind him as quickly as he could.

“Hmm,” Dimitri said aloud to himself. The kingdom was quiet having been covered in fresh snow the previous night. As he took a breath of the frigid air, something felt… different. He couldn’t quite pin down what he was feeling, however. His breath condensed in front of him as he exhaled and scratched his chin. “Is this…? Hmm.”

“You’re more perceptive than I thought.” A woman’s voice sounded in Dimitri’s head, although he had never heard a voice like it before. “Maybe that’s why Byleth likes you so much.” He looked around but saw no one. “I jest of course. I know aaaaaall about why she loves you, as I had to listen to her thoughts and listen to her tell me how surprised she was that you loved her and blah, blah, blah.” Despite the voice sounding like a mature woman’s, her way of speaking certainly wasn’t, Dimitri thought. “Anyways, you would be wise to cherish this day,” the voice said, and her words weighed heavily on Dimitri. A strange tightness manifested in his chest as the truth slowly came into focus. He sighed as the voice went silent, although he could still feel its owner’s presence nearby.

“You look deep in thought,” A voice floated to Dimitri’s ears from behind him. Of course, he recognized it instantly having listened to it for so many years now. Byleth’s beautiful voice remained as unchanged as her gorgeous face and figure. Her mint eyes and hair still shone as brightly as they had when they had first changed that color. Dimitri thought it was fitting that her beauty be unchanged over time, and yet part of him was jealous, and another part wished he could be just as unaged as she, so he could be a better match for her radiance. Byleth had said the same thing every time Dimitri had these thoughts, how she didn’t care that there were wrinkles in his skin or that his hair was turning grey, that she loved him just as much as she always had. Even so, there were still times where Dimitri wished he was as untouched by time as she was. Although… perhaps it wouldn’t matter soon enough.

“Oh. Apologies, Byleth. I was simply enjoying the fresh air.” He smiled at his wife in an attempt to convince her that everything was alright. “I tried to keep quiet to let you sleep a bit longer, but it seems that did not work.”

“The air that came in when you opened the doors was cold.” Byleth didn’t seem to mind being woken up however, as she smiled back at him and reached up, pushing aside a lock of Dimitri’s grey hair. That same mesmerizing smile, exactly as it had always been. “I don’t mind though.” She pressed herself closer to him and Dimitri saw the small bumps on her skin that gave away that she was, in fact, cold.

“I can tell you are cold, my beloved. Let us return inside for now,” Dimitri coaxed Byleth, taking her hand and leading her inside. His joints felt somewhat stiff in the cold, and the strange feeling in his chest wasn’t going away either. 

“What’s in order for today?” Byleth said as she began to undress and redress herself in a white silk dress. This simple question made Dimitri go silent for a moment as he thought. What had he been planning on doing today?

“Ah, yes, I had an important matter to discuss with the nobility,” he recalled. He remembered the odd feeling in his chest and sighed, remembering the paperwork that he also was originally going to do, but it wasn’t so important that someone else couldn’t handle it. “After that, well, I was thinking the rest of the day should be spent doing things we love together.” He smiled at Byleth once more. 

“Dimitri, I-“ She began as she held up the silver necklace that Dimitri normally helped her put on in the mornings. She stopped to listen to Dimitri’s words, although something in his voice must have sounded different,as she looked a bit suspicious of him. “Yes, that sounds like a good idea.” She stepped back, nodding. 

“May we walk down together, my beloved?” Dimitri asked, trying to reassure her he was alright. He held out his hand to Byleth, who gave a small smile as she took it.

“Of course.” She sidled up next to him, lacing her thin fingers in between his, and although they were older than they once were, the King and Queen hardly showed it in their mannerisms, still looking as regal as ever, only walking a bit slower to compensate for Dimitri’s weakened joints.

Dimitri cherished the warm feeling of Byleth’s hand in his as well as the warmth emanating from the torches as they passed by them. The castle was alive with the hum of passersby and visitors talking and moving about as they went about their business. A grand fire was blazing in the castle's central hall, and children and adults, rich and poor alike, huddled around it to stay warm and avoid the bitter cold of Faerghus. Dimitri smiled and nodded at them as he and Byleth walked passed the group, earning the couple many a smile in return.

“Your Majesty, Profess - er, Your Grace! As lovely a sight as ever! Well, at least one of you is,” a playful voice called out to the couple as they entered the meeting hall. Dimitri didn’t even need to see who the voice came from to know who its owner was.

“It is good to see you too, Sylvain,” he said with a sigh, although the smile on his face didn’t help him appear any more exasperated. Sylvain was clearly older and heavier, as was everyone else in the room except Byleth and some younger, unfamiliar members of the nobility.

An elegant woman whom Dimitri didn’t recognize stood against the wall, her green hair falling just above her waist. She had long, pointed ears unlike any Dimitri had seen before. Her hair was adorned with white flowers and ornaments not unlike what the archbishop wore. The woman wore a clean, white dress and cloak as well as a pink veil draped over her arms. The woman’s very presence felt holy, although Dimitri seemed to be the only one who noticed her. “You must cherish this time with those you care for,” she reminded him, nodding to the people gathered around the table. Dimitri nodded in response before turning to look around the room

He and Byleth gave their greetings to all in the room, and they all reciprocated the warm feelings, even Duke Fraldarius, who had seemed to mellow out a bit with age. Dedue and other people from Duscur were present, as were groups from Brigid, Sreng, and Almyra. Claude gave Dimitri a heartfelt hug and clap on the back as the two old friends approached. Dimitri made sure to pay special attention to everyone’s voices and mannerisms, cherishing the time he spent with them.

“Well, I had best get this meeting started.” Dimitri sat down at his place at the long meeting table, Byleth sitting at his side. He shifted uncomfortably. “As you all know, I have been working on this proposal for quite some time, as it pertains to a topic that is rather important to me. I appreciate your cooperation in passing this legislation.”

“Hey, that’s what friends are for,” the ever lighthearted Claude spoke up. “And besides, this legislation only makes sense. Now that we have the specifics laid out, we should have no trouble passing it.” The other leaders and nobles agreed with this statement, making Dimitri very, very pleased.

So the meeting continued, all the loose ends were tied up, and at the end of the meeting, Dimitri signed at the bottom of the legislature, officially passing legislation that immersed the public in voicing their opinions about public affairs, and got them more involved in all parts of the government. While the King or Queen would still make final decisions, the voices of the masses would be heard now more than ever. Typically, Dimitri would give a speech to the public about passing legislation, but not today. Not now. “Sylvain, could you hold on to this for me? And tomorrow, I would like you to be the one who presents it to the public. My children will have returned from their journey to Sreng by then.” He held out the rolled paper to Sylvain, who looked all too confused to take it. “And when they arrive, please give this to them as well.” He pulled another piece of paper out to give to the other man.

“Your Majesty, I’m honored, but why me?” Sylvain was clearly still baffled, running a hand through his greying hair as he took the papers. “You can just do your speech like you normally do, and I’m sure your kids would rather get this letter from you than from me…”  
“Sylvain. Please.” Dimitri put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and tried as best he could to convey the message that he was beginning to believe was true. His friend nodded solemnly.

After the people dispersed, Dimitri initiated all manner of activities with Byleth. They went for a walk outside, drank tea and conversed, and reminisced about years past. Dimitri spent all of that time simply listening to Byleth’s voice and memorizing the details of her face as though he would never see her again. Every second in this world, with her, was precious.

“It was nice to finally get more time for just us,” Byleth remarked, hugging his arm as the pair walked back to their room. “I’m not sure I’ll ever forget tonight. After all these years, you still manage to make me love you.”

“I am glad for it.” Dimitri sighed as they arrived back to the room and he removed his overcoat. “You with your unchanging beauty, internally and externally… I will forever love you, no matter what the future holds.” He stifled a yawn, as his body was exhausted from being out and about so much more than usual and from doing so many things with Byleth.

The routine of getting ready for bed went as usual, and it was a quiet, calm night. When he returned in his night clothes, Dimitri saw that Byleth had lit several candles around the room, giving it a warm, inviting feeling. Dimitri slipped under the covers and Byleth read for a while, the two occasionally conversing. Dimitri mostly just watched his wife and tried not to drift off to sleep. It was only when Byleth blew out the candles and lied down next to him when he finally decided it was time.

“Byleth…” he began slowly, looking directly into her eyes. He ran a hand along her arm, relishing at the soft feel of her skin. “I wish… I wish I could be in this world with you forever.” Tears had already appeared in his eye, but he forced himself to continue. “But I cannot… and this morning, when I went outside, on - on the balcony... I heard the goddess’s voice.” A lump formed in his throat and made speaking more difficult.

A heavy silence filled the air. “You did? I… thought that was impossible.” Byleth was clearly trying to keep her composure, but Dimitri could tell from her voice that she knew what that most likely meant. “...What did she say?” She said quietly, clasping Dimitri’s hand.

“Th-that it would be wise to cherish today.” Dimitri’s voice broke as he said this, and he wasn’t even sure if he could get his next words out. “Later in the day… I saw her. No one else seemed to. Byleth… I-I think… that today is… my last day.” He sniffed as tears started pouring down his face and he tightened his grip on Byleth’s hand.

The air grew heavier, and more silent, broken only by Dimitri’s sobs. The sorrow that spread across Byleth’s face broke Dimitri’s heart as cleanly as though she had taken the Sword of the Creator and sliced it through his body. “No… please, no…” She closed her eyes to try and stop her own tears from rolling down her face. “I thought I was ready… but I’m not, and I don't think I ever will be,” she said before putting her other hand against Dimitri’s face and sobbing. Neither one could bring themselves to say anything for a while, and they simply cried together, each in the other’s embrace. Suddenly though, Dimitri realized that this wasn’t how he wanted his life to end.

“My beloved…” He wiped a tear from her cheek. “I know this is selfish of me to ask, but…. I don’t want the last time we spend together to be sad.” Dimitri then ran his fingers through Byleth’s hair and tried his best to smile at him.

“I don’t want that either…” Byleth said weakly. She closed her eyes, trying to compose herself once more. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to stay awake as long as possible, and just look at you, if I am being completely honest.” Dimitri felt a bit dumb for saying such a thing, but he was being honest. A peaceful end was a selfish thing for him to request, he knew. Any chance he could get such an end would be worth trying in his mind. He pulled Byleth closer to him and took deep breaths as he hugged her. He dared not close his eyes, lest everything end.

“I love you so much.” Byleth nestled into his arms, the warmth and familiar feeling of her body helping to calm Dimitri some.

“I love you too, Byleth. More than anything.” His eyelids began to droop, but he fought against the tired feeling that threatened to take over. It came, again and again, but Dimitri fought it off. This feeling was perhaps the strongest foe he had ever had to face. “Byleth, please, keep talking,” he said, growing nervous and desperate. He thought he would be ready to accept his death, but he was wrong.

“I’ll never forget this time with you. Not any of it, I swear.” Byleth’s voice was calm for the most part, although Dimitri heard a slight wavering. He fought to keep his eyes open, listening to Byleth’s every word and breath to stay awake. The framework in his mind suddenly fractured as he panicked.

“I… I can’t go. I don’t want you to feel anything I felt when I lost a loved one.” He breathed faster and faster, and felt his heart pounding as well. “But how do I stop it? Byleth, I don’t want to go. Please help me stay…” Dimitri clutched Byleth’s arm, his eye widening and the wrinkles in his face becoming more prominent. He still kept fighting against the tired feeling. He was scared. Scared of death. Scared of leaving Byleth alone. Scared as he wondered if he had atoned for his sins while he was alive. But what could he do?

“...I can’t do anything about it,” Byleth said after a painstakingly long time. “I’m sorry.” Byleth sighed and cut off Dimitri before he could say anything more. “All I can do is be here for you.” She intertwined her fingers with his and looked up at him, being sure to look him directly in his eye. “And here I am. You didn’t want to die panicking or being sad, remember?” She smiled weakly at him.

Dimitri was speechless. He met her gaze as he began to calm down. He took deep breaths letting his anxiety fade somewhat. Byleth was right, as ever. He hadn’t wanted to die being scared. He wasn’t alone. He was with Byleth. And that was enough.

“You are so brave, Byleth… Thank you.” A smile began to slowly spread across his face. “I… am so… happy you-”

All was silent. All was dark.

**Author's Note:**

> It hurt to write Dimitri’s death... I made myself cry writing it... So I feel the pain. I knew I wanted to have him die of old age, but I also wanted his death to be impactful, so I came up with this. I hope you enjoyed it! Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


End file.
